The Legend of Simba
by Jatha
Summary: Discover how The Lion King fits into the greater story taking place around the events of the movies. Part 1 focuses on Simba's early days, before Scar's betrayal and Simba's exile.


**Hello there, everyone! So, this is it! I've been reading Lion King fanfics for a long time now, and I've finally started writing my own! I hope you enjoy this series throughtout its entirety, as I've got quite a story planned, assuming all goes well in the future. Oh, and while I don't want to sound like I'm begging, (well, maybe a little,) I just want you to know that anybody is welcome to review at any time for any reason.**

**Author's note: This series is based solely upon the movies The Lion King and The Lion King: Simba's Pride. No other sources will be drawn upon directly as a source of Canon, the reasons being: **

**1. I have not read any of the books in the Lion King: Six new Adventures series (shocking, I know), and **

**2: As much as I enjoyed Lion King 1 1/2 (or Lion King 3, depending on where you were at the time of its release), I consider the movie ridden with too many plot-holes to truly be considered Canon; it's basicly an hour and a half long episode of the Timon and Pumba T.V. show.**

** I reserve the right to draw upon those sources as ****necessary for the good of the story.**

**Oh, and Kijinga means "stupid", for those who were wondering. Just saying.**

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><p><strong>I do not own the Lion King or any characters appearing in that franchise. All OC's are my own or are used with the permission of their rightful owners.<strong>

Chapter1: Back to Before the Beginning

With a sigh, Simba opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was only just past sunrise, and already his tail was twitching nervously. Today was the day when he would finally be able to leave the confines of the cave where he had been born. For weeks he had been trapped inside the towering monolith of Pride Rock, never setting foot outside the main den, where most of the pride resided. His thoughts turned towards freedom and the outside world, anticipation ratcheting up the tension contained within his easily excitable self. If only his parents hadn't insisted on continuing to sleep in one of the small birthing chambers that attached to the main chamber, he could slip outside, take a quick look around, and be back before anyone noticed his absence. Unfortunately for him, though, his younger self had apparently caused his parents enough trouble that they took no chances. Simba had already used every tactic he knew to convince them to sleep in the den with the rest of the pride; he'd begged, cried his eyes dry, even flatly refused to drink his mother's milk, and still they brought him back every night to sleep in this small cavern. Now, trapped by stone walls and the sleeping forms of his parents, time seemed to crawl along even slower. For a moment, he considered the possibility of escape; then he remembered the warning his parents given him about attempting to leave without them. In his mind, he heard his mother's voice from the night before, "Simba, remember that you must wait for your father and I to escort you out tomorrow."

"What if you're still asleep?"

"Then you shall wait for us to rise so we can head out together, as a family."

"But what if you never wake up? I'll never get to go. I'll be trapped in here forever! Please mom? I promise I'll wait till sunrise, I won't…"

"Simba, I said No!"

"But…"

"And no "Buts, Moms, or Please's either!"

"What about-"

Sarabi sighed, and with a slight shake of her head, picked him up and placed him squarely in his father's paws.

"You deal with him."

Then she lay down next to her mate and closed her eyes. Simba had glanced up, only to see a contrast of emotions on his father's face. Though his expression was stern, he could see the amusement behind his father's eyes.

"Simba."

"Yes?"

"Listen to your mother."

Then he had set Simba down next to him and Sarabi, nuzzled up against his mate and soon after was fast asleep. Simba had lain there for what felt like forever, wondering how he could sleep when tomorrow would be his first day in the real world. "I'll stay up all night," he had decided while stifling a yawn. "I'll be right here, ready to go first thing tomorrow."

He had woken up when it was still dark, the cave silent except for the shallow breathing of his pride mates scattered all around the barren cave. With a groan, Simba rolled  
>over on his back and stared up at the ceiling. "Now what?" he wondered to himself. Here he was, held captive in his own home by his loving parents, when freedom lay not fifty feet away beyond the mouth of the open cave. "Why do they always to sleep in here with me? It isn't fair! Don't they trust me?" At that precise moment, Mufasa rolled over on his side, leaving a small gap between him and Sarabi. Simba detected the shift in his father's breathing and sat up. For over a minute he sat there, searching for any sign that neither of his parents were not quite as asleep as they appeared. At last, convinced of their slumber, he gently threaded his way between their sleeping bodies and slowly began moving towards the mouth of the cave, taking care not to tread on anyone's tail. "This is it!" he thought excitedly. "At last, a chance to really be out on my own, to explore the Pridelands!" He had always heard from the lionesses who came from outside the Pridelands about how wonderful everything was here; Now, instead of relying on what others told him about the outside world, he would see for himself. "I'll be the bravest explorer in the whole world!" he told himself. "I'm not afraid of any-," Out of the corner of his right eye, Simba caught a sudden flash of movement. Instantly he threw himself on the ground, sure that his mom had awoken to find him missing and was now actively searching for him. Right there, Simba sent up a silent prayer to Aiheu, pleading for mercy. He really didn't know much about the Great King up in the sky, but he had heard members of his pride speaking aloud to Him, though most of them weren't chanting under their breath, "Please, please, please don't let her see me, please…" Then the shadowy figure moved into full view, and Simba let out a faint sigh of relief. It wasn't his mother bearing down on him with her fiery temper; it was one of several cubs that he had seen frequenting the den at night. Off to his left, another cub was creeping along the wall, with a third close behind. "One, two, three," Simba counted to himself, "but I thought there was four?" Then, from the other side of the lioness he lay near, the final cub sauntered though the last of the sleeping lions and joined the rest of the cubs. After greeting each other with a chorus of whispers and giggles, the four walked out of sight.<p>

For a moment, Simba remained still and quiet, then rose to his feet. "I wonder why they're heading out so early," he wondered. For a brief moment he considered charging out to meet them, then an unexpected shyness overcame his confidence, and he felt strangely nervous about meeting other cubs his own age. Finally, deciding discretion was the better part of valor, he settled for following them at a distance and finding out what exactly they were up to. Mustering his courage he crossed the short gap that remained between him and the outside, and so for the first time in his life, Simba gazed upon the rising sun.

For one instant, the sheer beauty of the fiery orb held him in its power; the colors, refracted through the clouds, shone through in a pyrotechnic display that both filled his heart with praises and rendered him speechless. Tearing himself from his trance, he began to notice other aspects of the outside world that had so long been kept form him. The air he breathed, which before had always carried the over-powering scent of lion, now smelt of grass and fresh water and a thousand other things he couldn't even begin to explain. The rock under his feet, always so cool and smooth, now felt warm and slightly rougher than he was used to. He felt the breeze on his whiskers, heard the sound of the grass rustling, and saw the vast expanse of the Pridelands stretch endlessly into the distance. He experienced all this and more, and as he gazed out over the world, Simba felt what he later would come to understand as terror. For so long he had lived his life in the confines of the cave, unable to imagine how immense the world he lived in truly was, and now that he see it with his own eyes, it left him feeling small and insignificant. Here was a world that had no end, that he could never fully comprehend, and it scared him more than anything else ever had. And yet, even though his own fears threated to hold him rooted in place, his instincts drove him to push on. Almost before he realized it, he was running amongst the grasses of the Pridelands, examining each and every one like it was the most beautiful thing he had set eyes on. In almost no time, his own fears faded to nothing. Perhaps he would never fully understand the world around him, but it was enough just to be a part of so wondrous a creation, and he was going to make sure he saw as much of it as possible.

Later, while trying to discover just how wet water could be, Simba heard the distant sound of laughter. Remembering his initial mission, he set out in the general direction of the cubs, searching for them high and low. Eventually, the sounds grew louder, and as Simba walked through a particularly tall patch of grass, he saw a rather strange sight, even considering all that he had just seen. There, on the ground, the four cubs were running and jumping about, apparently trying to pin each other down. It took several minutes before any of them noticed the golden cub sitting among the tall grass. Finally, a pair of the wrestling cubs came to a stop right in front of Simba. The victor, obviously female, cried out "Ha, Got'cha!"

"No fair! You used that trick that _I_ taught you!" her wrestling partner said indignantly. This one was male, and he looked rather upset at being trapped under his friend.

The tan furred female smiled and said "Well, then let that be a lesson about teaching your enemies-"

"Enemies? You said you wanted to try it on Tojo!" the dark male shouted up at her. One of the other two cubs, a coppery male with blue eyes, perked up his ears and interjected, "What's this I hear about trying "it" on me? Sounds like the two of you have been plotting behind my back again." Finally glancing in the direction of his bickering friends, he noticed their silent observer. "Uh, guys?" He pointed at Simba. "We're not alone." Immediately all the wrestling stopped as all four took notice of their newest member. For a moment, there was an awkward pause as both the cubs and Simba eyed each other curiously, waiting for someone to break the ice. Eventually, the tan female stepped forward and said, "Well, go on then,"

"Go where?" Simba asked.

"No, I mean introduce yourself."

"Oh. Ok then." Simba traced a line in the dirt with his paw. "I'm Simba, I guess."

"You guess?" The dark male asked. "Well, as long as it's a guessing game, I'm guessing your name is Kijinga."

"Chumvi! Be nice!" the forth cub scolded. Her own fur was only slightly darker than Chumvi's, and the exasperation in her voice told Simba that this cub had had enough of his snide comments.

"Hey, he started the game, Kula. I'm just taking my turn. What do you think, Tojo?"

The copper cub, Tojo, smirked and said, "He certainly looks like a Kijinga, that's for sure." Both cubs laughed as Simba hung his head in shame. He felt like a Kijinga right about now. Then, his surprise, the tan female shoved both of her companions over and said, "Don't mind either of those two. _They're_ the ones acting stupid right now." Turning to face him, she meet his gaze and introduced herself. "I'm Tama. This is Kula," she guestured to the second female.

"Sorry about my brother," Kula apologized. "He can be such a cub sometimes."

Tama nodded and continued her introductions. "And those two idiots are Tojo and Chumvi." Tojo and Chumvi, still chuckling slightly, picked themselves up off the ground and sat down on either side of Tama.

"So, you're Simba, then? I know that name from somewhere. I just can't remember…" Tama trailed off, lost in her own thoughts. Chumvi stood and walked over to stand closer to Simba, each step brimming with swagger.

"So, _Simba_, just how long have you been in the Pridelands, exactly?" he asked, the amusement in his voice undermining the seemingly polite question.

"I've been here the whole time." Simba answered. Already he could feel his face beginning to flush, accompanied by an unfamiliar roiling in his chest.

Chumvi began to circle around him, each step exuding confidence "Oh, really? Well, where have you been this whole time? I haven't seen you around, and I should know, seeing how I've explored the whole of the Pridelands."

"Really? You've seen _everything_?"

"Oh yeah, I know everything about everything there is to know. For example," He pointed at a small hill in the distance. "Just beyond that mountain is where the elephant council meets every three moons to decide which the herds will move where."

"Elephants?"

"And over there, in that pond lives a crocodile so huge, it could eat an entire fully grown lion in a single bite!"

"I don't-"

"And way, way, way over on the other side of the Pridelands there's this huge hole in the ground, where there's giant purple snake that eats cubs for breakfast, and-"

"Ok, alright! So you know _everything_. So what?" Simba asked, seriously annoyed by now. Just who did this cub think he was?

"So, if I know everything, how come I've never seen you before? Either you've been hiding under a rock this whole time; _or,_" Chumvi whirled around to face Simba, so close their noses were almost touching. "You're a rogue," he whispered venomously.

Simba was slightly taken aback by the accusation. Even though he was unfamiliar with the meaning of the term, he had heard the word often enough when playing with his father. Each and every time, the light-hearted lion he had always known would instantly become sober and grim-faced, effectively ending playtime. Obviously, whatever could cause such a shift in his father's demeanor was not to be taken lightly.

For the first time in his life, Simba felt offended. This brat had just slandered his good name, and by the spirits above, he wasn't going to stand for that!

Pressing forward so their noses were actually touching now, he raised his voice and asked, "What did you call me?"

"Are you deaf and stupid? I just called you a mangy, good-for-nothing rogue!"

"You take that back!"

"Make me!"

It was at this point that Tojo squeezed between the two cubs before an all-out fight could break out.

"Guys, come'on! Break it up!" Kula ran over to her brother and audibly whispered, "Can't you mind your manners for just one time? He's obviously new! Relax!"

Chumvi just laughed and replied, "Oh, that's rich coming from you, sis."

Tojo eyed his friend and said, "Seriously Chum, just chill for a minute. Remember what happened last time your folks caught you fighting?"

Tama, who had missed the entire ordeal, finally returned to full awareness, exclaiming, "Of course! Simba, Mufasa's son! How could I have been so dull?" Everyone turned to face her. Kula's ears perked up. "Whose son, did you say? I could've sworn you said-"

"Mufasa! Yes! I remember Mom talking about him!" Tama walked over to Simba, who was completely stunned at the visible reaction to his father's name. Methodically, she began to examine him, like he was a fascinating bug or something. "I thought he was younger than this though. If I had known he was our age-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Chumvi cut in, "you mean he's _our_ age? How's that possible? I've never even seen this guy!"

Simba cleared his throat and said, "No, but I've seen you! You guys just always left before I could find you, and then I was stuck inside the entire time."

"He's right." Tama said. "Respective heirs are always kept away from the outside world longer than normal. It's considered too dangerous for them to be outside and exposed."

Puzzled, Simba asked, "What's wrong with my fur?"

No sooner had he said this than a powerful roar, echoing off the peak of Pride Rock, reached their ears. "What was that?" Tojo asked. Kula looked at Chumvi and said, "Mom told us we needed to head straight back home if we ever heard a roar."

"As did mine," Tama said. Chumvi puffed out his chest and declared, "Mom didn't tell _me_ anything about heading back."

"She was probably drowned out by the sound of your ego." Kula muttered under her breath.

"I heard that!"

"But why would everyone be summoned back home now? It's the middle of the morning." Tojo wondered aloud.

Simba once again felt the heat rise in his face as he said, "I think it might be about me."

"You?"

"I, uh, kinda snuck out of the den this morning."

He cringed and waited for the onslaught he felt certain would follow his confession. To his surprise, the response from the cubs was one of grudging admiration. "So you actually managed to escape, then?" Tojo asked, obviously impressed by the feat. "I never got more than ten feet outside the mouth of the cave."

With a grin Kula said, "I remember Chumvi almost made it out once."

"What happened?"

Giggling, Kula answered, "He tripped on his own tail."

Chumvi's ears fell flat as all the four cubs laughed. "Nice one, Chum!" Tojo chuckled. The dark-furred cub shot him a glare, then smirked and said, "At least I won't be the one in trouble this time when we get back." Simba's laugh died on his lips when he realized Chumvi was referring to _him_. Beginning to panic, he said "Oh, no! He's right, what am I going to do! Mom'll flip when she sees me!"

"Awe, lighten up Simba," Tojo said, perfectly at ease. "There's no way they're going to blame a cub who's been stuck in the den for his whole life wanting to run around outside." Pacing in circles, Simba answered "It's not just that! She's always telling me about how I need to listen to her and be careful, how dangerous it is out here. " Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tama and Kula glance at each other as a silent, unreadable conversation passed between them. Then Tama sighed, "Well, I guess you might as well get it over with." Turning around, she started walking back towards Pride Rock; Kula and Tojo followed her lead. "Where are you going?" Simba asked nervously.

"Home."

"But if we head back, I'll be caught."

Without looking back, she responded, "Would you rather be caught not going home?"

As much as he hated to admit it, there was wisdom in her words. He took a moment to gather his courage and count of each of his limbs, then, dragging his feet, began walking back towards the stony outcrop. Chumvi fell in beside him. "I'm gonna stick with you."

"Thanks, Chumvi."

"Oh, don't thank me. I just want to make sure I have front row seats when you get what's coming."

Simba furrowed his brow and picked up the pace. Maybe he would have to face the music when he got home, but he'd rather sing to the tune than deal with this cub for another minute.

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><p><strong>Well, I hope you guys enjoyed reading that as much (or even more so) as I enjoyed writing it. I have a busy few days ahead, so I may not be able to update for a short while, but I promise I will return! Unless you all hate it, in which case I'll just stick to reading. Anyways, please be sure to let me know one way or the other.<strong>


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